Six years ago Apache Chairman Raymond Plank set a goal of doubling the stock price within four years. When that goal was met in 2004, Plank and Chief Executive G. StevenFarris awarded every employee a stock grant equal to at least one year's salary. Generous performance-based awards like that have helped build teamwork and results:Earnings per share are up an average 34%in each of the last five years. Apache's sterling balance sheet boasts 15% debt to capital. Net income for 2005looks on track to hit $2.4 billion, up 44%from a year ago. That despite the impact of the hurricanes, which has cut Apache's Gulf of Mexico operations by 35%. But that's mitigated by output from Canada, Egypt and onshore U.S. In the North Sea, where the conventional wisdom is that it's been well picked over, Apache bought the legendary Forties Field from BP in 2003, nearly doubled production and recently added 24 new exploration blocks there.

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